


Fireflies

by RagingBookDragon



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: DC Give Him Happiness, Damian Wayne Has a Heart, Damian Wayne Is Allowed To Be The Kid He Is, Emotional, Sweet, Wholesome, he is a soft boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-19 00:49:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22369249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RagingBookDragon/pseuds/RagingBookDragon
Summary: Damian is definitely seeing things. There's no way there are fireflies in his bedroom. Then again, you wouldn't believe your eyes!
Comments: 6
Kudos: 55





	Fireflies

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry I don't have good tags or a summary for this. (You don't need those on tumblr lol) But this is based on Owl City's 'Fireflies' from my Tumblr, 'RagingBookDragon'. I hope you enjoy! -Thorne <3

_You would not believe your eyes  
If ten million fireflies  
Lit up the world as I fell asleep_

Damian could be described as many things. Grandson (Ra’s), son (Bruce), little-brother (Dick), demon-spawn (Jason & Tim), and best friend (Jon). It was tiring to him to be everything at once; not that he would tell a soul. Since he was a child, he was trained to not show his weaknesses; that _weakness was failure, and failure was not allowed_. But there were times when Damian could feel at ease with himself. He could let himself go and not be everything everyone saw. **_Damian could just be himself._**

Over the years of living in the manor, he’d become used to being ‘alone’ and not waited on hand and foot by servants like he’d been when he lived with his mother. His room was his solitude; Jon had even joked that Damian’s room was _his version of_ _Superman’s Fortress of Solitude_. Of course, he’d made a smart remark to the assumption, but deep down, he’d been startled at the accuracy of the statement. Damian’s room was simplistic in the basic terms. When he’d first arrived, his room screamed, _‘I’m just here for a few days. I’m not staying forever.’_ But over the course of the years and the realization that he wasn’t leaving, his room began to grow and take shape of the boy he was. His collection of weapons littered the walls, as well as a few paintings Bruce had bid on and won for him. His desk sat by the window, and on it laid his usual things: his laptop, his school bag and jacket, and his sketchbook and pencils. To other people, Damian’s room was still that of a temporary tenant; but to Damian, **_it was home. And it was his._**

He’d discovered one night when he was falling asleep that his dreams would almost come alive before he was entirely unconscious. He’d never mention it to anyone, for fear of being labeled weird, or being subjected to unending tests. But Damian saw the way his dreams lit up his room at night; and it all started with millions of tiny fireflies.

_‘Cause they fill the open air  
And leave teardrops everywhere  
You’d think me rude, but I would just stand and stare_

_I’ve got to be dreaming._ He told himself. _There’s no way this many bugs are in my room._ He stared in idle wonder, watching the tiny, living lights float across his room. Where they went, they left small silver drops that sparkled like diamonds. He crawled out from under his covers and looked around, seeing them in all directions. Damian reached out a hand, feeling some of them land on it. They sat upon his palm, small and blinking before taking off and moving around again. He spun in bewildered circles, his eyes taking in every light he could see. **_I must be dreaming…this isn’t possible._**

_I’d like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It’s hard to say I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep  
‘Cause everything is never as it seems_

If you asked Damian how much he knew, he would tell you what he tells everyone: _“I’m smarter than you’ll ever hope to be, and that is all you need to know.”_ Of course, this usually made his family laugh, except for his father, who would just run his hands down his face in exasperation. Tired or not, what Damian said was true. He knew more knowledge than anyone could ever hope to gain in their life. Sometimes, Damian wished he could change the things he knew; sometimes, _he wished he could unlearn the things he knew_. Damian wished he was still a young boy, crawling out of the bed from beside his mother and walking to the window to stare up at the billions of stars in the night sky. He wished he could make himself believe that the Earth turned slowly, giving everyone time to be where they wanted to be, instead of it spinning the thousands of miles an hour that it did.

He placed his suit back in the glass case and pulled down the shirt he’d been putting on. A hand rested on his shoulder and he looked up, seeing his father stand beside him; Bruce wore a calm expression as he said, “Don’t beat yourself up over what happened tonight Damian. No one could’ve predicted Penguin joining the fight.” Damian scoffed and ripped his shoulder from his grasp, slamming the glass case shut.

_“I am not in favor of beating myself up. **That is Todd and Drake’s favorite pastime.** ”_ Sharp noises of offence came from Jason and Tim, but he paid them no mind as he began walking towards the stairs. **_“It was not my incompetence that ruined the plan tonight.”_** He ascended the stairs into the manor, leaving the group behind. Dick walked beside Bruce and crossed his arms.

“Do you think Damian’s been rather occupied of late?” Bruce nodded and murmured,

“He’s been confined to his room more than usual. I’m beginning to worry that something is wrong.”

“I’ll try and talk to him later.” Bruce nodded, watching Dick and the others climb the stairs.

Damian closed the door to his room, locking it behind him and racing to his bed. He climbed in, pulling the covers up to neck; he closed his eyes and began slowing his breathing in hopes of drifting off to sleep faster. He was almost asleep when the sound of a fist knocking on his door reached his ears, and his eyes snapped open, turning in the direction of the sound. “Little D? Kiddo? Can I come in?” Damian’s eyes narrowed and he climbed out of his bed, stalking towards the door and unlocking it before opening it a crack.

**“What do you want Richard?”** Dick’s lips curled upwards and he leaned against the doorframe.

“I want to talk. Can I come in?”

**“No.”** Dick’s eyebrows shot up at the flat-out refusal and he questioned,

_“No? Why not?”_

**“Because I am tired. Go away.”** He started closing the door when Dick stuck the toe of his boot into it, halting it.

“Damian is something bothering you? Do you want to talk to someone?” A snarky reply crossed his tongue, but he bit it back, closing his eyes and sighing.

**“Richard, I am fine. There is nothing wrong, I just want to go to sleep.”** Dick opened his mouth to reply but he cut him off. **_“Please.”_** Dick’s eyes widened, but he soon nodded and pulled his foot back.

“Alright Damian. But if you need to talk to someone-” Damian cut him off waving a hand and muttering,

**_“I know, I can talk to you. I have been told that before.”_** Damian closed the door, locking it again before running back to his bed and hopping in, closing his eyes once more.

_‘Cause I get a thousand hugs  
From ten thousand lightning bugs  
As they try to teach me how to dance_

His eyes snapped open, and the vision of lighting bugs came back. Damian shoved the covers to his ankle and crawled out of the bed, standing in the middle of the room. His lips drew into a smile and he laughed at the sight of them. They flew around him, and he followed, stepping gracefully across his floor. They felt warm as they drew across his open arms, feeling almost like the hugs that his father and Richard gave him. Another laugh drew from his mouth as he realized they were trying to teach him how to dance.

_A fox-trot above my head  
A sock-hop beneath my bed  
The disco ball is just hanging by a thread_

The more they danced, the more Damian began to see the patterns in which they flew. Above his head he could see them dancing a fox-trot. _Crazy._ He told himself. But amazing all the same. The lights flew low and he dropped to his knees, lifting the covers and looking under to see them performing a sock-hop. Damian did something he’d never imagined he’d do when he saw it; _he giggled._ It tore through his lips and he clamped a hand over his mouth. _What did I just do?_ He looked around, as if expecting to see someone who’d caught it. Upon seeing no one, he pulled his hand down and let the smile cross his face. His gaze wandered up as the fireflies flew high and he caught sight of a disco ball hanging by its last thread. The shine from the lightning bugs, scattered light across the room in the reflection and Damian felt alive in it as he began to dance along.

_I’d like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m sleep  
‘Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep)_

Every night was the same to Damian. Crawl into bed, fall asleep, or fall into what felt like sleep, and dance with fireflies all night. He’d pondered telling his father what he was seeing but opted not to in the face of any repercussions that could happen. Tests galore and nights of no fireflies were what lied ahead if he did; so, he kept his mouth shut and continued to dream of them.

_Leave my door open just a crack (Please take me away from here)  
‘Cause I feel like such an insomniac (Please take me away from here)  
Why do I tire of counting sheep (Please take me away from here)  
When I’m far too tired to fall asleep_

The manor was empty that night; Dick was in Central with Wally, Jason with Roy and Kori somewhere in California, Tim with Conner and Bart, and his father with Selina. Damian had the whole manor to himself; save for Alfred, who’d already gone to bed. He crawled out from under his sheets and tiptoed to his door, cracking it open ever-so-slightly so that the light from the hallway filtered in. it created a sliver of light allowing him to see across his floor as he tiptoed back to his bed, climbing back into it. Damian’s head hit his pillow and he sighed, feeling so tired…but not tired enough. Endless sheep danced in the field he’d imagined, but the counting sent him nowhere, and he sat back up, the feeling of what seemed like insomnia creeping upon him. _I just want to sleep. I just want to…see the fireflies._ He shook his head, laying back down and closing his eyes, hoping for a quick drift into sleep.

_To ten million fireflies  
I’m weird ‘cause I hate goodbyes  
I got misty eyes as they said farewell (They said farewell)_

Damian always knew when it was time to wake up; the fireflies began whispering quiet notes of farewell to him as they drifted to the open balcony door. He watched them, silently wishing they would stay. They gave him such a sense of peace and belonging; one he usually didn’t feel, even being with his family. But he could see the very beginning of sunrise climbing up the sky, and the lighting bugs hovered towards the brighter light. He stood, feeling them brush beside him. He blinked, feeling something warm in his eye and he brought up a hand, feeling it and pulling it back. A single drop rested along his fingertip, but it shone like a star, making him smile softly.

_But I’ll know where several are  
If my dreams get real bizarre  
‘Cause I kept a few, and I keep them in a jar (jar, jar, jar)_

When Alfred first heard Damian’s request for a glass mason jar, so many thoughts ran through his mind; but the only one he voiced was, ‘Whatever for?’. Apparently, Damian wanted to catch something, and that was all he was willing to divulge. He stared at the young boy for a few moments before walking to the pantry and pulling out a glass jar, taking it to the sink and rinsing it before drying it and handing it to him. Damian accepted it quickly and turned around, taking off to his room throwing out a quick, ‘Thank you Pennyworth!’ Alfred smiled at him before continuing his work.

Damian’s eyes snapped open again and he saw the fireflies once more. Joy filled his body as another night of amazement and dancing fluttered by him. But soon, it was time for them to go, and Damian looked around for the jar he’d brought with him. He picked it up, unscrewing the lid and gliding it through the air, watching as several of them were contained. He put the lid back on, smiling at the holes he’d punched into it, and set it on his dresser. They hovered around the small jar, bumping its sides and latching on, blinking a steady greeting in what Damian had learned was their way of Morse code. His smile widened and he stared at it, knowing that no matter how crazy his dreams would get, those fireflies would still be there for him.

_I’d like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep  
‘Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep)_

They watched Damian play with Titus in the yard, running back and forth with the stick they’d found. Small smiles graced their lips and Alfred murmured, _“Master Damian seems to be in a better mood than he was last week. Don’t you think Master Bruce?”_ His eyes drifted to Bruce who simply smiled and nodded. “Did you ever discover what made him so frantic?” Bruce shook his head and said,

“Something about dreams and fireflies.” Alfred’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he whispered,

_“Fireflies, sir?”_ Bruce eyed him.

“What did he say?” Alfred shook his head, turning back to Damian.

_“Nothing. Just he asked for a mason jar the other day. When I asked what for, he simply said he was going to catch something.”_ Bruce turned back to Damian, but said nothing, simply happy in his son’s presence.

_I’d like to make myself believe  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep  
‘Cause everything is never as it seems (When I fall asleep)_

The four of them reclined in the grass, staring up at the blanket of stars above them. The night had been full of hotdogs and junk-food, before smores and an open fire, and now they were finally resting. A joke between the older three made them laugh save for Damian who was gazing at the bright lights. Dick looked down and nudged him. _“You alright kiddo? You look pretty deep in thought over there.”_ Jason and Tim expected a smart remark, but Damian simply asked,

**_“Did any of you ever dream of fireflies when you were younger?”_** The simple question stunned them into silence, and they looked at each other as they sat up; Damian followed in tow, looking at them. Dick was quiet and then he said,

“I didn’t dream about them… _but I remember nights when I would go out with my parents and catch them_.” A smile crossed Dick’s lips as he whispered, _“My mother used to say that when they landed in your hand and blinked, they were giving you kisses.”_ The others snorted at his story, but he paid them no mind, instead turning to Damian. “Did you dream about them?”

“No. I was just asking.” Dick nodded and turned out to the backyard, suddenly pointing.

**“Look! The fireflies are out!”** They all stood up, watching them gather in the yard, small and blinking. Jason happened to turn and glance at Damian, then he nudged the others as he whispered,

_“Is it just me? Or does two-bit look **over the moon**?”_ They all glanced over at Damian who had stepped a few feet forward and had his hands outstretched. Lightning bugs landed on his hands, and he was smiling. Dick grinned and held a finger to his lips murmuring,

**_“Let Damian be the innocent little kid he deserves to be…alright?”_** They nodded, still watching the small smiling boy holding fireflies without a care in the world.

_I’d like to make myself believe_  
That planet Earth turns slowly  
It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep

Something tickled his nose, and he opened his eyes looking up blearily. A million lights scattered across his vision, and suddenly everything was clear as he sat up straight in bed. The firefly that had landed on his nose took off and joined the rest, dancing across the air in free motions. Damian pulled the covers away from his body and stood up on his mattress, holding out his hands. _“I thought you all had gone away,”_ He whispered. _“You should have told me you were coming back.”_ They didn’t respond, they never did. But Damian knew they meant him well and he smiled at them. _“Another night of dancing with lights I assume?”_ Again, there was no answer, but he didn’t mind. He sat on his bed, crossing his legs, and watched them in wonder, thinking to himself, that this was his dream, and it was by far the best he’d ever had.

**_Because my dreams are bursting at the seams_ **


End file.
